Flexible chain for electric-lighting fixtures and portable lamps



Dec. 18 1923. 11,478,669

M. HERSKOVITZ FLEXIBLE CHAIN FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTING FIXTURES AND PORTABLELAMPS Filed Oct. 18 1920 Patented Dec. ll, 1%23.

times MAX HERSKOVI'I'Z, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Application filed October 18, 1920. Serial No. 417,650.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Max l-innsxovrrz, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, Cook County,and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Flexible Chains for Electrio-Lighting Fixtures and Portable Lamps, ofwhich the following is declared to be a full, clear, and exactdescription.

1 This invention relates to flexible chain for electri lighting fixturesand portable lamps, and its principal object is to provide an arm orother support of improved appearance and construction, which is light,substantial,

flexible, and comparatively inexpensive in construction and assemblage.Another object is to provide a flexible supporting connection forelectric light fixtures and port- 7 able lamps, in which the conductorcords are 2 entirely concealed. Another object is to provide a flexibleconnection for electric light fixtures and portable lamps which may beeasily and quickly assembled and wired. Another object is to providesflexible connection for electric light fixturesand portablelamps capableof being constructed of light gauge sheet metal. I Another object is toprovide novel, flexibly connected membersthat may be readily assembledinto various flexible arms or stems for use in elec trio lightingfixtures or portable lamps or other electric devices. Other objects andadvantages will appear in the course of the present specification andwith said objects sists in the several novel features hereinafter afterfully set forth and claimed.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Fig. .1 is a sidelele'vation of an electric lighting fixture embodying asimple form of the present invention; Fig. 2is a side elevation of thependant stern portion of the fixture; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sideelevation of one of the stems or spindles of whichthe fixture isconstructed Fig. 1 is an enlarged, detail, longitudinal, fragmentalsection taken on the line-H of Fig. .1; Fig.6 is a perspective view of afragment ofa stem and anornamental'ball member which connects the.stems, the view illustratingthe manner in which thetwo. are joined; Fig.6 is a side elevationof the arts seenjin Fig. 5, but

showing there tu fly coupled together; Fig.

andadvantages in view, this invention con 7 is a view, partly in sideelevation and partly in central longitudinal section of a modified formof the invention; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of an ornamental fixturemember made up of a stem, two ball members and two loop members; Fig. 9is a side elevation of a coupling member, sometimes used in theconstruction of the fixture; Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a flangemember; Fig. 11 is a side elevation of a loop coupling member and Fig.12 is a side elevation of a loop member sometimes used in theconstruction of the fixture.

Referring to said drawing and first to Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, thereference character 12, designates the pendant stem which is providedwith attachment means at one end, for securing the fixture to theceiling or wall or other base. In its present form it is screw threadedat said end and screws into a suitable support (not; shown) fastened tothe ceiling or wall. The usual canopy, a, surrounds the upper portion ofthe pendant stem as is customary. 13 designates ball members or otherornamental fixture members, and 1 1 designates necks, stems or otherconnecting members therebetween, which are joined to the ball members 13by flexible joints, whereby the fixture is made flexible as will bepresently set forth. Any desired number of necks, stems or otherconnecting members and ball members may be used to make up the fixture,depending upon the length of fixture desired. At the end a coupling 15(see Fig. 9) of any desired type is employed for the attachment of theelectric light socket 16 or other fixture member. The pendant stem 12,ball members 13, connecting members 14, and coupling 15 are made hollowto receive the conductor cords, and are preferably made of, light gaugesheet metal formedup into the desired shapes.

The exact form of joint between the several members is not materialtothis invention, broadly considered, but it is simple in construction,and provides a simple means for easily and readily connecting togetherthe several members of the fixture. In the form shown, the stems, necksor other connecting members 1 1 are formed with flanges 17, preferablyconvex in shape, so as to fit in and against the concave innerfaces ofthe ball members as clearly seen in Fig. 4 and 6E The ball members 18are formed with holes 18 for the reception of the stem 12 and connectingmembers 1 1, the holes bereadily assembled, slits 19 are made in theshells of the ball members, which slits ex-- tend back from the holes18, and slits 2O are made in the flanges 17, of the stem 12 andconnecting members 14:, there being one slit at each hole 18 and one ineach ange 17. In assembling a stem or connecting member and a ballmember, the flange 17 of the stem or connecting member is inserted intothe hole 18 and slit 19, as seen in. 5, and the stem or connectingmember is turned around, bringing the remainder of the flange into thehollow of the ball member through the slit. lVhen the slit of the stemor connecting member passes the slit of the ball member, the entireflange is contained in the hollow of the ball member, and the two partsare thereby flexibly connected. In this manner the entire length offixture may be easily assembled, and the coupling 15 attached in thesame manner. The wires or conductor cords may be inserted through thestem 12, connecting members 14 and ball members 13, as the parts arebeing as sembled, or after the entire length of fixturehas been made up,after which the wires are connected to the socket 16, and the lattersecured to .thecoupling 15.

To make the flexible fixture more rigid so that it will maintain anyshape into which it is bent, I provide inner friction flange holdingmembers, as seen in Fig. 4, which friction members may comprise atubular or spherical shell 30 contained in the ball I members andfastened thereto, as for instance by a web 31 that runs from the shell30 to theseam 32 between the two halves 33, 3 1, of which the ballmember may be formed. The shell 30 has holes at its top and bottomthrough which the conductor cords pass, and it is spaced away from theinner face of the ball member far enough to permit the flange of a stemor connecting member to be inserted between it and the ball member. Theshell covers the slit flanges and takes upthe slack in the ball chainand-also prevents chafing of the conductor cords. I

In place of m'aking the stems,necks or other connecting members 141separate from the ball members 13, they may be made integral therewithor a permanent part thereof, as shown in Fig. 7 In this figure each ballmember13 is illustrated as having at one end a short neck 14: formedas apermanent part Of the ball member, the neck terminat ing in a slittedconcavo-convex flange 17*.

fixture or arn'r in any shape that may he given to it by bending it, andsaid friction members may comprise a. hollow, hemispherical shell 30secured to the outer ball shell, as for instance by securing it in theseam between the two members 33 3r, thereof. I Said shell 3O has'a holeof smaller size than the hole 18 of the ball shell, through which theconductor cords pass.

The form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 7 provides an article thatmay serve as a fixture, or asa flexible arm for use in portable lamps,or wherever a flexible casing is needed for electric conductor cords.The stems, necks or connecting members 1 1 and ball members 13,havingthe flexible joints described, provide simple means: wherebyornaments maybe made up for use in connection with lighting fixtures;Such an ornament isshown in Fig. 8, and comprises two ball members 13, aconnecting stem 14:, and loop members 21. One'of the loop members isshown in Fig. 12 and comprises a ring or loop portion'22 and a con vexslitted flange23. The flanges of the loop members 22 are inserted intothe outer holes of the ball members, and the loop portions 22 may beconnected-tochains or spindles as is common in electric lightingfixtures. v

In place of the ,form of loop members shown in Fig. 12, a loop membermay be made up from separate parts comprising a concavo-convexslittedflange 24:, asshown in Fig. 10, and a loop member: 25, as shown in Fig.11, said loopmember 25 having a threaded stud 26 which is insertedthrough a hole 27 in the flange 24:, and being provided with a nut 28.that may be turned down on the flange 24: to secure it to the loopmember 25. V With the several parts above described, various forms offixtures or portable lamps may be constructed besides the-onesillustrated. For instance, the loop member 21, or the one made of theparts2a, 25, may be secured in the lower ball member 13 ofthe fixtureseen in Fig. 1, in which case the lower end of the fixture will-appearas shown inFig 8 to which a socket may behttached. Other designs may be.readily made up" to suit the taste. 1 5 I More or less variation of theexact details of construction is possible without-depart ing from thespirit of'this invention," I desire, therefore, not to limit myself tothe exact form of the construction shown and described, but intend, inthe following claims, to point out all of the invention disclosedherein.

1 claim as new and Letters Patent:

1. A flexible chain for electric lighting fixtures and portable lampscomprising ball members, each of which at one end is concavo-convex andformed witha hole and a slit extending back from said hole and each or"which has connected therewith at its opposite end a neck portion, saidneck pordesire to secure by tions each-having a slit concavo-convexflange, said flange being insertable into an adjacent ball memberthrough the hole and slit thereof to flexibly connect said ball memberstogether. a

2. A flexible chain for electric lighting fixture and portable lamps,comprising ball members, each of which at oneend is concavo-convex andformed with a hole and a slit extending back from said hole and each ofwhich has connected therewith at its opposite end a neck portion, saidneck portions each having a slit concavo-convex flange, saidflange beinginsertable into an adjacent ball member through the hole and slitthereof to flexibly connect said ball members together, and frictionelements, one secured in each ball member and frictionally bearingagainst the flange held therein,

3. A flexibly chain for electric lightin fixtures and portable lamps,comprising ball members, each of which at one end is concavo-convex andformed with a hole and a slit extending back from said hole and each ofwhich has connected therewith at its opposite end a neck portion, saidneck portions each having a slit concavo-convex flange, said flangebeing insertable into an adjacent ball member through the hole and slitthereof to flexibly connect said ball members together, and hollowhemi-spherical shells, one secured in each ball member and frictionallyengaging the flange held therein, to keep said members from longitudinalmovement with respect to each other.

4. In a flexible chain for electric lighting fixtures and portablelamps, hollow necks formed with slitted flanges on their ends, hollowball members in which said flanges are seated, and open ended shellsecured in said ball members and covering said slitted flanges.

5. A hollow connecting member having a slit concavo-convex flange, and ahollow ball member having a hole in one end and a slit extending backfrom said hole, said flange being insertable into said ball memberthrough the hole and slit thereof.

MAX HERSKOVITZ.

